155. BANKSY: Taking the piss (explicit)

Banksy is an anoynomous English street artist and activist who has become a cult hero for his anti-establishment and rebellious artwork.

Unlike someone I know, who stays in his house all day drawing comics and watching Simpsons reruns, Banksy is a REAL artist who challenges the status quo, forces people to think and puts himself in danger, all while remaining a complete mystery to the world. I mean think about it, he’s one of the most famous artists on the planet, his work has been popping up in major cities for the past 10 years and sell for millions of dollars and no one knows who the hell this guy is! I take my hat off to the dude.

If you haven’t seen it, I recommend the documentary Banksy directed, Exit Through the Gift Shop. What was meant to be a film about Banksy instead turned into a movie about the man who was obsessed in trying to meet him. Although many have claimed that it’s a ‘mockumentary’ and the plot a set-up, it’s still a brilliant film. It not only documents the street art movement, it also deals with the meaning of art, and whether or not an artist actually needs any talent or can just survive on hype alone. Two thumbs up!

This quote was taken from Banksy’s 2004 book Cut It Out. Some of the passage was inspired/appropriated from an essay by artist Sean Tejaratchi. I rearranged the last couple of sentences for this comic.

Discussion (143) ¬

Great Stuff! At first I really thought you were going for a “They Live” theme. Have you seen the film? It’s looks so, uncanny. While I disagree on his points, I do respect your comics. Do keep up the good work

So inspirational. Really makes you stop and think about how much crap is being pushed into our daily life.

Personally, I chose to ignore these advertisements, cutting out cable (no commercials), and trying to only supporting restaurants/business which I don’t hate and not spending at the others (Chik-fil-A).

Nice one Gav.
I’m sure the real Banksy will be chuffed as being depicted as a ninja! (doubt the old grump will admit it though, )

Ever seen ‘Minority Report’? The level of intrusion that the personalised adverts make into the characters’ heads is, at times, overwhelming to the present day audience. However, look at how the characters respond. They’re as oblivious to the onslaught as we are to the billboards of today. Hope in evolution?

Advertising won’t disappear, trust me. Advertising as we know it, probably will however. Ad blindness is a very real problem for marketeers and there’s only one way to prevent it: make ads that people want to watch.

It’s happening already: a lot of major companies are producing ads that are only aired on their youtube channel. Some of which go incredibly viral. Chances are that you’ve seen an Old Spice ad or a video from Dove’s Real Beauty campaign. You didn’t see them on TV, though. You saw them because someone showed them to you or shared them on facebook. It’s a fair trade-off. They get a little brand recognition and you get a few minutes worth of entertainment, a chuckle or two and something you can share with your friends. Those are the ads of the future.

The same principle (make stuff that people want to see) goes for tons of other things like Oreo’s incredible facebook and twitter strategy, Red Bull-organised adrenaline-fueled events and targeted (and therefore interesting) search engine advertising, but virals are more fun to talk about.

Evolution in the advertising world is happening quicker than ever but as long as people have products and services they need selling, advertising will exist. As consumers adapt, advertisers adapt as well. And in today’s world, consumers are adapting every minute. Exciting times, my friend.

Dammit Gav…I was seriously just contemplating starting a career in commercial voice overs; only in hopes that that would allow me to make music a hobby again and not a means of living and that it would lead to doing fun character voices. But your awesome quote and comic just reminded me how much I truly hate advertising and fake bullshit. Dammit! But thank you. This is very good.

When I first saw the author of the quote you chose to illustrate I was apprehensive as to whether you could do Banksy justice in one comic. As you know Banksy has some strong opinions and I was pleasantly relieved after I read your comic. You have not failed to illustrate the quote and the author beautifully! Thanks Gav, your work is fantastic!

Really a great comic. I am so tired of seeing all the ads, logos, brands, fake brand slogans, photoshopped models, fake promises, etc. Its just so FAKE FAKE FAKE. These liers would do just about anything to sell to you. They say use our product and we will fulfill your dreams, drink our soda because it brings happiness, etc. How does eating a stupid chocolate fulfill my dreams or using a deo gets me angels falling from the sky. Why cant they just tell the truth as in eat our chocolate because its delicious, or use our deo because it smells good. WHY SO MANY LIES. These ads just follow you everywhere, they are omni-present, just like God. But anyways, loved your work Gav. We need to be seeing more of these inspiring quotes and less of these fake brands 🙂

I’ve read all your comics and daily refresh your website to eagerly find the newest comics. While I was reading this one, at the point he was putting on his mask, I genuinely hoped that it was Banksy. I hope he has a cleaner apartment than that, though 🙂 Love your work. Keep it up!

Gav, great comic. I wondered about the CocaCola thing too. Brilliant alteration of other brand logos. And as someone said above, great narration. I believe I used to see Banksy’s work/graffiti in NYC … he’s a great rebel for our time. Alas we can get busted for doing what he does. Corporations aren’t people, Mitt Romney, corporations RUN the people, and the police, and the jails [the jails, for reals, contractor jails!]

Also, I want to say, Gav, you may not be Banksy, BUT you do get people thinking. Honor that. Your success is blossoming, enjoy!

Ummm … also? I think you need to do something about “Anon”… I stupidly followed a link and now CANNOT UNSEE … “Anon” is trolling your site.

If you were to rephrase that as “Sophisticated mass manipulation of subconscious drives, impulses, and emotions in order to reduce consumers to spending robots while maintaining the delusion that they are making conscious choices is what drives the world” then I’d agree. That pretty much is the world we inhabit.

Monique
I grew up in India in the 80s and 90s and we really did not have much to buy and very little money to get the little that was even available. Believe me it was not a fun place. Entire generations were caught in a Kafkaesque world, where shit happened and all you could do was stand and watch (and pray). If you were poor, you evoked pity and contempt and if you had a little money, people automatically assumed you were unscrupulous and dirty. In short there was plenty of hate to go around.
Dont forget there are polar opposite worlds and they are not utopias either.

Exit Through The Gift Shop actually makes you annoyed with the maker, the wannabe who almost thought he had become a Banksy, because he hung out with the guy. But like you say, fact remains that it is in fact an interesting, albeit longish, documentary of the street art movement and will make the viewer rethink about many things we take for granted.

Sooo…not that I am in favor of rampant advertizing in public space, but I don’t see this as a big deal. It would be one thing if Pepsi hung a banner off the Golden Gate Bridge, or someone created giant iPod ear buds to fit into the Presidents’ ears on Mt. Rushmore, but this is a major city depicted here. It’s all just background noise that gets tuned out for me.

For a smart reader of Zen Pencils advertising may be easy to tune out, but consider children. Under 8-year-olds do not realize that ads are trying to sell them something and thus are easy to target. Or think of teenage girls looking at airbrushed underwear ads and comparing the manufactured bodies to their own.

I dunno Mr. J. I grew up in the 80s and 90s and was completely saturated with every form of advertizing we have today, save for web-adverts, and I am infinitely more likely to buy generic brands of everything than pay the premium for Apple, Gap, Pepsi, etc. products.

And if you want to talk about unattainable body images, I grew up watching Goku doing upside down pushups in 100X earth’s normal gravity. But I didnt feel sad or weak when I looked at my very well fed body. Rather, I was inspired to work out and get in shape.

But then, unlike seemingly most people today (not necessarily you, Mr J), I didn’t grow up being told I am a victim and the world is to blame; so I don’t tend to ascribe my issues to other people or, in this case, companies.

Well, Claus, I wasn’t implying that I am immune to every advertizing piece that comes to my eyes and ears, but since I dont care about cars, trendy clothes, McDonalds, Ipods, etc. And the fact that I like my body – while at the same time try to improve it -, my modest home, my hum-drum career, etc. I can reasonably assert that I tune out most overt ads as depicted here.

At first I was going to agree with you, I feel like we tend to just tune out advertising, but then I thought about it more. Specifically, I started thinking about all the women who struggle with body-image issues, and how much of our society seems to be driven by a need for money and status. I realized that commercialism affects us a lot on a subconscious level. It’s very easy to believe that if you have the right car, house, and a hot body that you’ll be happy, and we tend to forget things like love, spirituality, or just enjoying the moment.

– I grew up with distorted images of what a “man” looks like too (see my response to Mr J above). Didn’t hurt me any and I have no pity for those who blame Barbie for them being sad about being not thin enough.

– Every culture on earth values status among it’s people. Doesn’t matter if you are in New York or New Guinea. It is a human trait. And money (currency) was created as just a simplified medium of exchange for food and shelter, which again are human desires not specific to industrialized cultures.

I’m not saying I am “Neo” and I’m immune to the “Matrix”. I’m just saying that I don’t believe the meme that ads, obnoxious and garrish as they can be, hurt people as much as others say they do.

You may be much better than others when it comes to dealing with advertisements/consumerism etc. But you are not the only person. The comic does make a very valid point. You may think its just shifting blames, but in unconscious ways we don’t realise about, it does affect us all. The average person is not as smart/intelligent as you.

I’ve been a student of social psychology for a few years, and it is amazing how effective advertising has become in manipulating people without their realizing they are being manipulated. Most people tend to believe that they are not affected by advertising. But they are. The impact is real and very lucrative for the vendors. Why else would they spend billions on it?

The reality is that we are unconscious of the impact advertising is having on our behavior. And that makes it all the more effective.

If we want to cut our puppet strings we first have to admit they exist.

That smile in the penultimate panel is cannily similar to the one on a Guy Fawkes mask. A very fitting nod to V for Vendetta if it was conscious.

After wrestling with visa application requirements the comic certainly struck a revolutionary chord in me. Similarly to advertisement, bureaucracy often reduces human individuality to a black and white document.

This is amazing! Gav, your work is excellent and incredibly inspirational! I’m live in the US where it feels like consumerism and materialism are at an all-time high. This morning, on a national news show, I saw a story about the goalie for the US futbol/soccer team. The anchor explained how this guy’s “stock” is rising because of his success and predicted the guy would get a lot of endorsements. The anchor then asked the public to tweet which product they thought the goalie should endorse, not what cause he could promote or what inspiring thing he could say to kids, but which company should be pay him to shove a product down our throats. It’s so disheartening. So thank you, Gav, not only for a truly beautiful meaningful comic, but for reminding me there are people who are trying to combat more consumerism!

not sure if it’s deliberate but the red “BUY” sign looks an awful lot like Shepard Fairey’s “OBEY” logo. if that’s the case the possibilities are two-fold; either it is an homage to Fairey, or a criticism. ???

Does it not affect the sensibilities of people of color? I see no representation in the crowds of anyone other than white. I love the message and agree with it. I would like for all people to feel like it speaks to them and not just the white faces.

1. Advertising is an art form. One of many art forms and Banksy knows this.
2. People who gripe about ads should try harder to get a life.
3. Banksy had nothing to do w this comic/idea/rant
4. “Exit Through the Gift Shop” was a stunt. Total fabrication to mess w those who can’t seem to parse reality.
5. The joke is on most of you.

As always, excellent work.
Banksy really is something else – whether he does it alone or not is irrelevant, the stuff that is created is landmark and more powerful in some ways than people realise.
Cheers!

Been following ZenPencils for quite some time now but this would be my first comment. Love your work and a huge fan. You know getting lost in trivialities is perhaps something that every human being succumbs to once in a while. And especially in this mad, mad world, even before you realize, you get consumed by them. Your weekly posts are a relief from all these trivialities.
P.S.: Bansky as a Ninja- supercool stuff I say!

This one is really great, and the subject of the quote it is based on is why I also support graffiti in urban areas. I know some cities that have large areas of legal graffiti walls, but they are too few.
The companies have access to all that space in the public sphere, and we need or in my mind should have a counterpart to that. Art from the citizens without a commercial message.

I respectfully disagree with your assertion that you are not a “real” artist. You make art that is available to a huge number of people. You ask questions. You challenge assumptions. You encourage people to think for themselves.

Banksy is an amazing artist and this is a great quote – however while he is definitely worthy of praise for popularising it as well as for his own art, it seems that he didn’t originally create it.
Sean Tejaratchi in Crap Hound No.6, July 1999 has that honour – see here for a write up:http://readingfrenzy.com/ledger/2012/03/taking_the_piss

It seems that Banksy sort of unintentional plagiarised it. He put it into his book with attribution, but an editor removed it making it look like they were his words.

What this comic states is true, but is it really something to get mad about (especially since advertisers are not the only ones doing it)? The concept of “ideal beauty” or “ideal reality” is not new. It’s been there since the ancient time. Ancient Greek statues weren’t used to sell anything, but it does the same: inspire people to reach perfection, whatever that is. May be in the ancient world people will look at those statues and make them feel bad? I dont’ know. But society, ancient or modern one, will always create image of ideal and perfection as something to strive for, or to differentiate between the haves and the havenots. Getting rid of it means getting rid of hopes and dreams. Is it really a bad thing if someone saw a billboard that shows a happy family riding a roller coaster and the dad decided he wants to take his kid on a vacation. A lot of the products being sold now are craps, like junkfood, overexpensive coffee, clothings that are overpriced, electronics that dont’ last. But that doesn’t mean using ideal state to advertise is out to attack you and make you feel bad. I mean yes, it makes you feel bad, kind of like how your perfect neighbor with his perfect lawn makes you feel bad. Why get mad at something that has been there since the dawn of civilization? I think it makes sense to call out some of the unhealthy products, but to get upset over the idea that advertisers make us feel unhappy in general is a bit over the top. Striving for something better is part of being human. To learn more. To experiment. To explore. Go to Youtube and watch “The Way of Seeing” episode 4. It will show you how ads create this “alternate reality of impossible beauty”.

Yes, using the trademark to criticize them isn’t infringement. Using the trademark for passing off my goods as theirs is. But here, I am using the trademark to identify Coca Cola as Coca Cola. I can very well do that. This position is accepted at least under Indian law. Check this judgment – http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/562656/

—-?Might make a neat follow up – check out his T.A.Z. writings, this is from “Pornography”

In the East poets are sometimes thrown in prison–a sort of compliment, since it suggests the author has done something at least as real as theft or rape or revolution. Here poets are allowed to publish anything at all–a sort of punishment in effect, prison without walls, without echoes, without palpable existence–shadow-realm of print, or of abstract thought–world without risk or eros.
So poetry is dead again–& even if the mumia from its corpse retains some healing properties, auto-resurrection isn’t one of them.
If rulers refuse to consider poems as crimes, then someone must commit crimes that serve the function of poetry, or texts that possess the resonance of terrorism

—-

—–I see a lot of this in Banksky in that doing crimes albeit petty ones he’s a real “Artist” and far more and artist than the “Cows in Foremeldehyde” and blasphemies of Christ and his mother in sickening mediums the latter of which makes me wonder if Hitler had a good point on “Degenerate Art”

The enjoyable experience & easy to navigate of the customer’s offers an added value which inturn helps the portals to get more new buyers. Giving customers’ a lot of options in brands, discount rates & offers also pulls in a number of various visitors.

Contact the law firm and check their track record in dealing with the cases that is similar to you. Also, don’t forget to go through the profiles of the individual lawyers and check the number of successful cases they have handled in the past.

…even though I am an advertising student myself. But I can agree with what this comic is trying to say.

Advertising has so much potential to do good, conscientious stuff now. And while it has manipulated people and led them to buy stuff they don’t want or need, it is a social force for either good or bad, depending on the person who holds it.

Some ad agencies don’t care about consumers at all, and they allow moronic ads to be made. Some really care, and are prepared to fight with the client (advertisers) to make really good, groundbreaking and powerful content that makes you feel like they understand you .

Ads can never go away; after all, businesses have to make money and sell their stuff. Even if their stuff isn’t worth it.

But advertising imitates all of the good and bad in life so much. And that’s why I like it.

I actually really dislike Banksy. If I wanted I could pull up some graffiti from the 80’s and 90’s with similar messages. Things ranging from racism, sexism, capitalism etc. The difference being that those were made by PoC and were considered garbage and vandalism, while Banksy is considered “Art”

I think it’s a great point this comic is making, regardless of who said it or who it’s associated with. That’s not what I came here to say though…

“Unlike someone I know, who stays in his house all day drawing comics and watching Simpsons reruns, Banksy is a REAL artist….”

Stop it. Stop right now. It’s ok to admire other artists, to respect and even idolize them. It’s ok to want to be like them…in some part of you. But don’t ever consider yourself not a real artist Gavin! This website is in my top five of “inspiration”. Your entire story is inspiration, on top of the really amazing art that you create to bring inspirational quotes and stories to life that without you…would have simply lived in books on a shelf. This entire concept is a work of art. Not just the comics, but even those…if there’s even a little part of you that doesn’t think what you do is REAL art? Kick it in the head for me huh?

I love your website. You choose a beatiful way to share wisdom. I’ll like to see a comic with this quote from Emilie H. Gauvreay: “We have built a system that persuades us to spend money we do not have on things we do not need to create impressions that will not last on people we do not care”. Thanks!

Love your work, this one shows great insight and imagination as well. I loved it right up to the point where a crime is glamorized. Funny, totally. On target regarding ad campaigns, I’m with you. Just that one piece that keeps me from sharing this with others, as I have your other work.
I don’t know Banksy but it seems from the comments that he is depicted accurately. Not what I’d call inspirational in the way he shows his disdain for this sleezy part of our culture.

Otherwise, love your work and agree with other posts about your talent and impact on getting positive messages out. Keep it up!

I’ve read all your comics and daily refresh your website to eagerly find the newest comics. While I was reading this one, at the point he was putting on his mask, I genuinely hoped that it was Banksy. I hope he has a cleaner apartment than that, though 🙂 Love your work. Keep it up!

i really don’t see the validity behind the concept of intellectual property being some sort of modern nemesis of the individual. just by virtue of the fact that you, Zen Pencils, don’t give away print-res downloads of all your work (and nor should you) means you disagree with him. i bought Banksy’s book and i’m pretty sure i paid more than what it cost to manufacture – and that’s fine. but let’s not confuse the moon with the finger that points at it.

Does it not affect the sensibilities of people of color? I see no representation in the crowds of anyone other than white. I love the message and agree with it. I would like for all people to feel like it speaks to them and not just the white faces.

Nice rapist logic there, Banksy. “I didn’t have any choice in whether or not I saw it, so I get to do whatever I want with it.” Bad news for that sexy girl with big tits in the short skirt that just walked by then, huh? Great news for me though! Good thing she walked in front of me, giving me permission to do as I please. That Corvette over there? I didn’t ask to see a Corvette, so I guess it’s mine now!

As for the rest of it, bullying? Are you serious? Are they somehow able to make you buy things you don’t even want? If they are, then you’re weak-willed and shouldn’t be blaming advertisers. If not, what are you bitching about? If I see an ad for a Big Mac, yeah, I may go buy a Big Mac. Because they’re delicious, and at any given moment, all it might take to get me to go get a Big Mac is to simple be reminded that they’re there. McDonalds could air the exact same commercial with their fish sandwich swapped out for the Big Mac, and it wouldn’t do a damn thing, because their fish sandwich is disgusting. So, by Banksy’s logic (if we’re going to call it that), seeing that ad should make me want the fish sandwich just as much as I wanted the Big Mac. Yet, I don’t. Why? Because Banksy is full of shit. They can’t make you do anything if you don’t let them. Utter and complete bs, and you should all take a long hard look at yourselves in the mirror if you found yourself nodding along to this drivel.

You can find a helpful data on-line. You can find sites that one could go to which may have guidelines as well as recipes upon foods which can be healthy, however taste great. There are also web sites exactly where others are right now there which might be furthermore trying to change eating abuse, and also follow far better life-style. Web sites not just loan assistance, but can also assist you will find different ways of eating healthy that you might not have access to regarded on your own.

Does it not affect the sensibilities of people of color? I see no representation in the crowds of anyone other than white. I love the message and agree with it. I would like for all people to feel like it speaks to them and not just the white faces…

The biggest lie people tell themselves is that things are being shoved down their throats. That some brilliant evil mastermind is behind all of it. Seriously? Do you live in fantasy world?

Products exist because you buy them. Advertising exists because you react to it. The day you stop buying. The day you stop paying attention to it. It goes away.

The fault is never in others. It is always in yourself. And that is inconvenient to admit. So you make stories in your head.

People like banksy are wrong simply because they are a minority that for some reason decided they are right and the crushing majority is wrong. Comsuption is, strangely, the only true democacry in modern life. Everything else is controled by someone or something.

You know what your trouble is?… You’re the kind who always reads the handbook. Anything people build, any kind of technology, it’s going to have some specific purpose. It’s for doing something that somebody already understands. But if it’s new technology, it’ll open areas nobody’s ever thought of before. You read the manual, man, and you won’t play around with it, not the same way. And you get all funny when somebody else uses it to do something you never thought of.

Although those could create the experience look chilly become, in choosing sunglasses we should not forget the basis of the election, namely the choices of sunglasses must be adapted to the form of the experience.

For this experience kind, the choices of sunglasses must avoid the impact of size to the experience. Select sunglasses with circular glass form with large enough sizes to compensate for the size of your experience.
Round face

Scientists find the ability to estimate molecular qualities important when using and synthesizing peptoids and proteins for research. These qualities include isoelectric points, molecular loads and annihilation coefficients